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healthy southwest style chicken
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5 from 1 vote

Healthy Southwest Style Chicken

Healthy Southwest Style Chicken tenderloins are marinated in a blend of prickly pear marmalade and spices and air fried to perfection
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
preheat air fryer5 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat
Keyword: air fryer chicken, chicken tenderloins, chipotle spice, healthy chicken, prickly pear marmalade
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 266kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken tenderloins
  • cup prickly pear marmalade (SEE NOTES)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chili lime salt (SEE NOTES)
  • 1 tsp chipotle chili
  • 1 tsp guajillo chilli (SEE NOTES)
  • cup white wine vinegar
  • cup avocado oil (SEE NOTE)

Instructions

Air Fryer Method

  • Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350 degrees
  • Place the tenderloins in the air fryer tray and cook for 10-15 minutes till they reach an internal temperature of 165° (SEE NOTES)

Oven Method

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
  • Place the tenderloins in an oven safe dish or sheet pan and cook for about 20-30 minutes (SEE NOTES)
  • Cook till they reach an internal temperature of 165°

Grill Pan Method

  • Preheat your grill pan on your stove for 5 minutes
  • Place the tenderloins on the pan and cook for a minimum of 5 minutes before flipping them (SEE NOTES)
  • Flip to the other side and cook for another 5 minutes
  • The tenderloins will be done in about 10-15 minutes, when the internal temperature is 165°. (SEE NOTES)

Notes

Prickly Pear Marmalade - This can be purchased on amazon if you wish to try it. However, you can substitute any other marmalade in its place as well.
Chili Lime Salt - I use the Chili Lime Salt from Trader Joes but Tajin works just as well. If you don't have access to either mix ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp chili powder and ¼ tsp lime zest to make the required 1 tsp for this recipe.
Guajillo Chili - If you can't find this, you can use Ancho chili powder, New Mexico Chili Powder or just double up on the the Chipotle.
Avocado Oil - You can use Avocado oil or any other oil that has a high smoke point, such as Canola or Peanut.
Cooking Times - Cooking Times given above are approximate as equipment, utensils and at times altitude variations play a role in the final result. To err on the cautious side, check your meat at the earlier time given in the range above. For complete accuracy I always recommend using a thermometer. 
Grill Pan - To insure a perfect sear and good grill marks, a minimum of 5 minutes is necessary before flipping the tenderloins. I personally like using a grill pan but if you don't have one a regular frying pan will do.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 731mg | Potassium: 467mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 623IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg